Vintage Sugar Cream Pie

A sugar cream pie is a vintage recipe that we absolutely love. Some recipes have specific geographical origins, and this sugar cream pie is just one example. We all have fond memories of classic recipes that were passed along to family and friends. Its recipes like these that we love to revisit and each bite of a classic recipe acts like a time machine, taking us back to memories of great food and good times. Geography often plays an important role in what we eat. Certain foods like chili or fried chicken have become defining characteristics of a particular region. Folks from Illinois and Indiana might recognize this one: a sugar cream pie. But you don’t have to be from or go to Indiana or Illinois to enjoy this sweet treat!

If you’ve had a slice of sweet cream pie before, you know how good it tastes. Super simple ingredients and no eggs! Sugar, butter, and heavy cream…need we say more?! But to make this even more amazingly sweet and delicious, we sprinkle the top with a little brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg and put it under the broiler to get a nice brown-toasted crusty glaze on the top. Be sure to keep an eye on the sugar cream pie as it sits under the broiler!

As for the crust, homemade is always amazing but picking up one from the store is a great short cut. The end result is a sweet custard-like cream filling with a golden sweet crust on the top. It chills in the refrigerator to firm up and in a couple of hours, the sweet pie is ready to enjoy. The most important ingredient isn’t on the list, it’s all the memories of shared meals that make this sugar cream pie so delicious.

A sugar cream pie is super simple to make but its simplicity isn’t why it tastes so good. We all have a beloved family recipe that is a tradition at family gatherings or is a local favorite that we get to enjoy when we’re back home for a visit. A sugar cream pie, like so many other beloved classics, tastes so good because of its connection to home and memories of shared meals. Just look at how gorgeous this pie turns out! We can’t wait to enjoy a slice of this homemade classic because a vintage sugar cream pie will never go out of style.

Vintage Sugar Cream Pie

45 minutes to prepare serves 8

Ingredients

  • 1 9-inch pie crust, store-bought or homemade
  • 2 cups heavy cream
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ¼ cup corn starch
  • 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, divided
  • 1 ½ teaspoon vanilla extract
  • 1 teaspoon brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
  • ¼ teaspoon nutmeg

Preparation

  1. Place prepared pie crust onto a baking sheet. Set aside.
  2. Whisk corn starch and granulated sugar together in a bowl and set aside.
  3. Melt 4 tablespoons butter in a 2 quart sauce pan over medium heat. Add heavy cream and vanilla. Stir to combine.
  4. Whisk in the sugar and cornstarch. Continue whisking until mixture comes to a boil. Cook for approximately 1 minute then remove pot from heat.
  5. Pour cream mixture into prepared pie crust.
  6. Turn on the oven’s broiler set to Low.
  7. Combine brown sugar, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Melt 2 tablespoons butter and drizzle over top of the pie. Sprinkle the sugar-spice combo over top of the butter.
  8. Transfer baking sheet to the broiler. Broil until the top of the pie begins to bubble and turn brown.
  9. Cool completely before transferring the pie to the refrigerator to set, 3-5 hours.

Recipe adapted from Baked In Arizona.

Whizzco for LPE